


Ben, meet Betty.

by SocksandFluff



Series: Midsomer Shorts [3]
Category: Midsomer Murders - All Media Types
Genre: Charlie Nelson Era, DCI Ben Jones, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Reunions, Fluff, Gen, Happy Family, Happy meetings, John Barnaby Era, Retired Tom Barnaby, Slice of Life, all the feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 04:18:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SocksandFluff/pseuds/SocksandFluff
Summary: Betty Barnaby was just born, and Ben Jones is rushing out to meet her and give his congratulations.  He wouldn't miss this for the world.Welcome to the family.





	Ben, meet Betty.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [indigorose50](https://archiveofourown.org/users/indigorose50/gifts).



> Again, great thanks to IndigoRose50 for helping me with this idea! 
> 
> And also thanks to my best friend who was the whole reason why I like this show~
> 
> Enjoy!

DCI Ben Jones was in an incredible rush.

The case that he had been tirelessly working on had finally been solved.  The murderer in question was caught, a victim was saved before they were added to the death-toll, finally he was free.

And he was getting himself out of Brighton and to Causton as soon as he could.

 “I’m off,” Jones said quickly as he looped on a scarf and tugged on his jacket.

“Sir?” came from one of the Brighton Sergeants that worked under him. “Already? We’ve only just solved the case, shouldn’t we -”

“It’s fine.  That can wait.”  He understood, he really did, but he wasn’t going to wait any longer if he could help it. “- And I trust that you will do a very good job with the paperwork,” Jones stated quickly, patting down his pockets to make sure he had his phone and keys. “I have every faith in you.”

He gave a smile, and left before explaining any further - leaving a rather bewildered DS behind. He would apologize later. Maybe take them out for a pint and explain.

But Jones wasn’t worried about that now.  He was more worried about getting out as fast as he could.  He dashed to his car, checking his watch for the time, and reasoned that he would make it to the hospital before it was too late and beyond visiting hours.

It was the only time in his life he had ever been excited to be going to a hospital.

Sarah Barnaby had just had her baby.

He had gotten the call the day before, but was so tightly wrapped in the very serious case; he was unable to separate himself from it.

Moments like these made him lament the busyness of the Brighton lifestyle, and how crime never seemed to end. There was always case, after case, after case.  Darkness and dismay his near-constant aquatics.

Not always murder, thankfully, but it did keep him from enjoying the lighter things in life at times.

Jones fumbled with his seat belt before taking his phone out of his pocket, and ringing John.

The answer was immediate. “ _Barnaby speaking.”_

“Hey - It’s Jones.”

_“Oh! Ben! Good to hear from you. How’s the case?”_

“Solved. Just ended - I’m making my way down, now that I can get away,” he explained, checking the rear view mirror.

_“No need to rush - we’re hardly going to be going anywhere, and it’s not like the baby can up and walk away before you get here.”_

“Yes well - I’m still coming straight away. I’ll see you soon.”

_“I look forward to it.”_

“See you then.”

 

* * *

 

Despite traffic having been so abysmal, tagging on over a half-hour of commute time he didn’t want or need – Jones had managed to arrive within good time.

He half-jogged up to the reception desk. “Hi,” he greeted quickly. “Ben Jones - I’m here for the Barnaby family? They should be up in Maternity. Came in yesterday. Under the name Sarah?”

He bounced on his heels as he waited for her to look up the information on her computer without as much as a blink in his direction.

The moment she told him which floor and room to go to, Ben jogged up to the nearest flight of stairs.

It was when he was walking down the hallway of the maternity ward counting the room numbers, when an all-too familiar voice caught his attention.

“Jones?”

No way.

Ben stopped, turned, and let out a laugh of delight. “Tom!”

There he was, Tom Barnaby, sitting with his wife, holding a cardboard cup filled with hospital coffee. Jones’ old superior officer stood to give him a hearty handshake that was pulled into a hug.

“It’s so good to see you!”

“You too!” Jones said genuinely. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“We weren’t about to miss the welcome of another Barnaby, now were we?” Tom said, that familiar twinkle playing in his eye.

“No sir,” he smiled.

Oh how Ben had missed him.

“How are you doing sir? Er- Tom.” Jones corrected. “Retired life treating you well?”

“Oh yes - quite well. And _you_ ,” he gripped Jones’ shoulder. “How is life treating _you_? Now a big DCI up in Brighton, eh? Keeping you on your toes?”

“Hardly a big DCI, sir. One of the many, and not even the best. It’s nothing like Causton - I miss it down here.”

“Well it looks like life is treating you well, regardless” Joyce said with a smile.

“Thank you Mrs. Barnaby.”

“It’s good to see you, Ben.”

“You too.”

Tom gave him a few friendly pats on the back. “And you never know, openings come up all the time. Perhaps they’ll need another DCI down here in Causton - it hardly seems right that you aren’t down here.”

Jones just smiled. He wouldn’t mind that either - as long as it meant that it wasn’t John Barnaby that he was replacing.  Working in Causton without a Detective Barnaby seemed wrong somehow.

“Now, I suppose you aren’t here to see us elder Barnaby’s, but rather, the newest edition.” Tom said, his gentle knowing smirk ever-present.

“Yes!” Jones felt his excitement bubble up again. “Yes - though I can’t say I displeased to see you. Tell me,” he leaned forward conspiratorially, “Is it a boy or is it a girl -?”

“Ah ah.” Tom made a zipping motion over his lips. “Mum’s the word. You’ll have to meet them for yourself.”

Ben chuckled. “Right.” He felt rude to leave them off, but he was there on a mission. “Shall we all get a coffee later, then? Catch up properly?  Lunch?”

“How about dinner? We’re going to be going out with John this evening, and that DS of his. I doubt he’d mind another friendly face,” Joyce replied. “Especially if it’s you.”

“I’d love to - see you then?”

“Yes,” Tom said simply. “Now go on,” he shooed, “- they’re _expecting_ you.”

Something in Tom’s tone made Jones furrow his eyebrows, but he was gestured away by his retired DCI before he could even begin to question it.

He spotted John as he went round the hallway before he spotted the room.

John Barnaby was standing in the hallway next to a door.  With him, leaning against a wall, chatting quietly, was a rather tall lanky man.  Jones had every reason to guess that this was John’s new Sergeant.  The one that he finally decided was ‘good enough to keep.’

As Ben approached, John looked up, having caught sight of him. “Jones! You made it - and in good time, I might add.”

“Sorry,” He immediately began to apologize. “I’d have been here yesterday if it weren’t for the case. I -”

John waved it off, “None of that. It all worked out. It’s fine. We hardly can expect you to drop everything.  Believe you me, I also know you can’t just stop in the middle of our kind of work.”

Jones nodded.

“You said it was solved?” John asked, curious.

“Yessir - I won’t go into details, but everything has been solved and put to right, and that’s all we can ask for.”

“Perfect. Have you met my new DS?” John asked, gesturing back to the taller man.

“No, not yet,” Jones reached out a hand. “Ben Jones, and you are, Charlie Nelson am I right?”

The Sergeant took his hand. “Yessir - it’s so good to meet the man whose shoes I had to fill.”

“It couldn’t have been that difficult,” Ben replied. “Also, don’t call me ‘sir’, it’s just Ben.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, you’re a DCI now,” John said, cutting through the self-deprecation, “and you were hardly an easy man to replace.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“It’s me whose hardly a sir to _you_ , Jones.”

“I know - habit. Sir.” He teased, earning a grin from Nelson. It still felt wrong to call John Barnaby anything less.

“How’s the missus then?”

“As right as rain.”

“Excellent - and the baby...?”

“You’ll get to see in a moment - go poke your head in the room and see if she’s ready Nelson - but yes, the baby is doing fine. Better than fine.”

“Congratulations sir.”

“Thank you,” was the genuine reply.

Nelson pulled his head out from where he was peeking into Sarah’s room. “Sarah’s all done now, I think. She wants you to come in.”

John smiled. “Well Jones,” he started, putting his hand against his former Sergeant’s back to lead him into the room. “Want to meet the newest Barnaby?”

“Of course!”

John smiled.

“I’ll take my leave then, sir,” Nelson said before they crossed the threshold.

John nodded, and Jones furrowed his eyebrows. “You don’t have to leave-”

“No no, it’s fine.” John made sure to immediately placate. “He’s been here all morning, and we’ll be meeting up with him again later for dinner.”

“Oh that’s right - I ran into Tom and Joyce in the hallway.  Asked me to join in.”

“Oh did they? Well that saves me asking you then. Come on, before the baby falls asleep.” John turned to address the taller man. “See you, Nelson.”

“Sir.” Only a simple nod, and he left.

That just left him and John.

The moment of truth.

John opened the door.

Sarah was sitting propped up in bed, and there it was, a small pink bundle snug and warm in her arms.

Jones could only focus on that pink blanket. “It’s a girl?” he asked, finding himself a little breathless, forgetting to even greet Sarah first.

John closed the door behind them. “Yes she is,” he stated proudly.

“Hello Ben,” Sarah greeted warmly. “Come over then, meet Betty. Don’t be shy.”

Ben slowly crossed the room, a stupid grin on his face as he pulled the stool at her bedside to sit down. Hesitantly, he leaned over to look at the little pink face.

It was love at first sight. “Oh - she’s _gorgeous_ , Sarah.”

“Thank you Ben,” Sarah Barnaby used her free hand to tug his head close to hers so she could kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for coming, I know you must be terribly busy. It means a lot for you to be here.”

“Of course I came, I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” and he meant it.

“Here,” Sarah continued, carefully lifting up the pink bundle. “You hold her.”

Jones froze. “What. _Me_?”

“Yes _you_ ,” she said laughed, delicately holding the newborn. “Come on now, hold out your arms.”

He gave a terrified glanced to John, whose smug smile did nothing to ease the tension in his body, and found a very small, very delicate, very new, human being carefully put into his arms.

“There!” Sarah said, her cheerful tone was as if she was simply arranging ornaments. “Perfect. You’re a natural.”

Ben opened and closed his mouth like a fish, uncertain if she should so quickly be so trusting with him and her newborn.

But, at a glance to both of Betty’s parents, neither of them seemed particularly concerned with the idea.

Ben forced himself to relax, if the Barnaby’s were fine with this, than he could be fine with this. He breathed out and looked down at the snug bundle in his arms.

“... Is she ever tiny,” was the first thing that that came to mind.  Marveling at a small hand that poked out between the pink blanket folds.

“Don’t often get to see newborns, do you?” John asked.

“No sir. Hey there -” he said softly as he reached a finger to gently touch the side of a soft cheek. “Hello Betty. How are you getting on then? Enjoying yourself?”

He received only a tiny sigh as the newborn blearily looked up at him.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

John chuckled.

Ben sat like that for a good number of minutes, just staring in awe at the soft bundle. He dealt with death, cruelty, deceit in the darker side of the world so often he nearly forgot that there could be moments such as this.

He was unaware that John had moved to sit on Sarah’s bed nearest Jones, and that he and his wife were watching the former Sergeant warmly, John’s arm wrapped around Sarah’s shoulders.

After a few more moments passed, Ben looked up. “I love her name, by the way. Betty Barnaby. Suits her.”

“Well we could hardly name her Benjamin, now could we?” John simply replied.

Ben felt his ears turn pink. “About that sir- it was just a joke-”

“No no, its fine, Jones. Ben.” John clarified.

“Besides,” Sarah said primly. “We have another way to get a Benjamin into the family.

Jones paused. “Pardon?”

“Don’t look at me, this was all her idea,” John started.

Sarah nudged him gently.

“What do you mean?” Ben asked again, having a strange feeling well up in the pit of his stomach.

Had the room started to buzz? It felt like the room had started to buzz.

Sarah smoothed the sheets on her lap. “We were wondering -” she cleared her throat, “ - sorry. We’re wondering - well, we want to ask you - if you would like to be Betty’s... godfather.”

There it was.

The room fell silent - only the thudding of his own heart was audible to Jones’ ears.

“I - I accept,” Ben croaked out after what was either minutes, or mere milliseconds. “I’m honoured.”

“I think it’s rather the other way around,” Sarah said, and Jones didn’t need to be a detective to spot that she was doing all she could to not tear up herself. “Welcome to the family, Ben.”

Ben laughed as John clasped his shoulder, “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

He looked down to the pink bundle, breathing and trying to calm before he made a fool of himself. “Hear that, Betty? I’m you’re godfather. But you can still call me Uncle Ben - it’s a bit easier to say.”

Perfectly comfortable where she was, Betty just yawned in response, her eyes closing.

“Oh. Should I-?” Ben moved, gesturing as if to hand her back to Sarah.

“No no - we’re going to have more time than we can imagine with her like this, you can hold her as long as you like,” Sarah insisted.

“Yes - and besides, you’re her godfather, Jones.” John said primly, after having stayed suspiciously quiet, “You two should get acquainted; and if you don’t mind, I’m going to be taking my wife to get a well-needed walk and something to eat.”

Jones nodded and settled Betty back down in his arms.

“She’ll be fine with me, sir,” He assured.

“I know,” John stated with such serious finality that Jones felt his emotions start to bubble up again.

So it was with another kiss on his cheek from Sarah, a firm pat on the back from John, before he was left alone sitting in a chair, with little Betty Barnaby.

He stroked her cheek with a finger.

 _His_ goddaughter.

**Author's Note:**

> There we have it.
> 
> More love for our dear DS Jones.
> 
> When it was confirmed in Season 19, Episode 3 "Last Man Out" that Jones was Betty's godfather... well, I just had to write what had happened in the missing scene.
> 
> Thanks to my friend for being a huge inspiration~
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this disgusting amount of fluff.


End file.
